From Thousands to Three: Final Flag Designs Chosen

(KNSI) — With a looming deadline, the State Emblems Redesign Commission whittled down the finalists for the new flag to three and also finalized a new state seal.

Design F944, F1953, and F2100 will go before the commission when it reconvenes on December 15th.

F944 is titled Mirror of the Sky and features a blue and white design coming together to symbolize snow, clouds, and waters with a four pointed yellow North Star on a navy blue background.

F1953 is a navy blue abstract shape of the state with a white eight pointed North Star inside to represent our state motto of “L’etiolle du Nord” meaning “star of the north.” There are three stripes: white, green, and light blue. The white represents the snow. Green represents our history of agriculture and the natural beauty of the state. Blue represents the significance of water to our state with the 10,000 plus lakes and being the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

F2100 features an eight pointed North Star for our status as the North Star State, over navy blue to represent the sky blue waters. A green field at the bottom represents agriculture and natural beauty. The white wave separating the two marks the abundant winter activity opportunities.

The state seal selected last week was finalized at the meeting, stripping the state motto out and replacing it with “Mni Sóta Makoc̣e” which is Dakota for “Land where the waters reflect the sky.” The commission also removed the 1858, which is when Minnesota became a state and approved making the loon’s eye red, which is the color when it is in its full color summer plumage.

The flag and seal must be formally adopted by January 1st.

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